Colima Sour

This was this years submission for the Patron Aficionados Tour. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in last year's exhibition in Atlantic City. This year the event comes to my neighborhood of Philadelphia. Technically this is an exhibition, not a competition but there's a prize at stake so what's the difference? Well, I'll tell you. It's a lot less stressful and thus, a lot more fun. Everyone naturally comes together, especially when you're already good friends. We drink with each other and enjoy the ride. 

1.5 oz Patron Anejo

.25 oz Patron Citronage

.75 oz Pineapple Juice

.5 oz Fresh Lemon juice

.5 oz Serrano Pepper Infused Agave Nectar

Red wine Float (a nice Spanish grenache, I use Las Rocas, El Renegado)

To make the infused nectar, simply pour about a cup of water and agave nectar into a saucepan and add a serrano pepper with as many seeds removed as possible. let simmer until the desired taste and consistency is reached. Add a few berries like strawberries for a fun twist.

Add all the ingredients except the red wine to a mixing tin with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Carefully float some red wine on top of the cocktail until the glass is full.

The inspiration for this cocktail came from the New York Sour, which is effectively a whiskey sour with a red wine float. I decided to bring back my spicy agave nectar I used in my cocktail last year, the Old Timey Honky Tonky. I adore the spice and I've been using it constantly in cocktails and cooking. 

The name Colima sour is a reference to the fact that it is a sour and to the volcano, Colima. No, not kalima. In addition to being the name of one of the 32 states of Mexico, Colima is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico and even in North America. It sits partly in the state of Colima, but mainly in the state of Jalisco, where Patron is made. I thought the name fit rather perfectly with my cocktail. Not only is Colima a state like New York, the volcano angle works too. There's a nice hot spice to the drink and the lovely red float on top might suggest the lava angle.

Fingers crossed for this year. Updates to come.

Beginner's Flight: Rum

This is going to be a series of posts about how to start sampling different types of spirits if you are a beginner drinker. What's the difference between bourbon, scotch, and Irish whiskey? How is London dry gin different from American or Indian made gin? The best way to figure out what you like is to go out and try things. With so many options out there I thought it would be nice to give newbies a jumping-off point into their world of spirits. I'm trying to find bottles that are available at nearly every liquor store or can. Today, I'm talking about rum.

1. Barbancourt White Rhum. 

This is a fun little rum Agricole. This one is Haitian made. It has some funky notes to it. Agricole rums are generally a bit more earthy and grassy. It has a regional price point at about $20 per bottle. There are plenty of light rums out there, but they really don't feel very earthy. They feel very mechanically made. Agricole rums are made from freshly pressed sugarcane rather than molasses, which is a bit more caramel-like in flavor. This is what a fresh rum will taste like. There is certainly still a sweet side to it, but it is matched by these other earthy flavors. Aged rums will have a whole different character.

2. Appleton Estate V/X. 

Jamaican made, Appleton possesses a rich, aromatic body. Appleton has been in business since 1749, 265 years. It is the second oldest rum producer in the world. This is actually a blend of 15 different rums, aged at least 5 years in old Jack Daniels Barrels. When you blend 15 different rums you're bound to find something you'll like about it. It has some light fruity notes. There is a bit of alcohol burn, but nowhere near the worst, you will taste with rum. This is quite a well-rounded introduction into the world of rum. Figure out what aspects you like in this rum and then try some more rums that have a bit more of a focus on those aspects.

3. Captain Morgan Private Stock. 

I was seriously torn about putting a spiced rum on the list, but this is one of few rums I could actually sip straight without the need for a cocktail. This is actually a sipping rum. I did decide that regular Captain Morgan wasn't really worth a detailed explanation. The company has hardly been around for 70 years, but they command an amazing amount of the market. Regular Captain Morgan is aged up to a year. Private Stock is aged at least two years. The most distinctive bit I note about the private stock is the smooth ridiculously vanilla-flavored finish.

4. Gosling's Black Seal. 

This is a really dark rich rum. It comes from Bermuda. Gosling's is blended and aged three years in old bourbon barrels. It tastes like burnt sugar and caramel, notes of vanilla, a lot like bourbons. But Black Seal is much sweeter; some notes of butterscotch shine through. Gosling's also makes several other products, namely there non-alcoholic ginger beer. A dark and stormy is actually the only copyrighted drink recipe name. Gosling's Black Seal and Gosling's Ginger Beer with lime over ice make up a protected entity. No other recipe can use that name. 

Special mentions to: Bacardi, Pyrat, Kraken

Rum, n. Generically, fiery liquors that produce madness in total abstainers.
- Ambrose Bierce

Photo Credit: Pikrepo, wikimedia

Beginner's Flight: Brandy

This is going to be a series of posts about how to start sampling different types of spirits if you are a beginner drinker. With so many options out there I thought it would be nice to give newbies a jumping-off point into their world of spirits. I'm trying to find bottles that are available at nearly every liquor store or can be acquired fairly easily. Today, I'm talking about brandy. 

You're probably familiar with the idea of brandy, maybe even tasted a bit in your eggnog at Christmas. You know the notion of an old man enjoying a snifter of brown liquid in his robe by the fire. It looks good, doesn't it? What's he got that you can't have? Nothing. Well, maybe where you live you can't have a real fireplace. But the relaxing with a brandy idea, that's a good feeling. But how do you know what you'll like? Start trying things.

1. E&J Brandy XO. 

This is a pretty staple domestic brandy. E&J is one of the bigger brandies available in the United States. They have a decent line featuring a basic brandy, as well as a VSOP and the XO. All of which are very reasonably priced. See if you like the smoothness and sweetness of this product. You'll find a lot of variability in the fruit flavors of brandy, as well as the alcohol burn. 

2. Martell Cordon Bleu. 

Martell is actually the oldest brand of cognac on the market today. Cognac naturally being french made, Martell was the first of the major cognac houses, the others being: Hennessy, Remy Martin, and Courvoisier. In fairness, there are also Camus, Hine, and Frapin, but they haven't reached global popularity yet. Martell Cordon Bleu has been around for over a century now. It is a fantastic brandy for sipping neat. Try adding a splash of water like you would with whiskey to open up the aroma and oils.

3. Laird's Applejack. 
This is actually an apple brandy from the oldest licensed distillery in America. Some people do think of this as more of an apple whiskey, but semantically this is closer to a brandy, in that is uses fruit, not grain. There are more premium lines of this product if you are interested in tracking them down, including their bottled-in-bond and their white "Jersey Lightning" This is a staple ingredient in a number of cocktails including the Jack Rose. Some bars will use calvados instead of Applejack however

4. Alexander Grappa di Cabernet. 
Grappas are traditionally Italian made. They are very similar to a number of other grape-based brandies from around the globe. As with many brandy style liquors, grappa is usually made with the remnants of the grapes after they're used for winemaking, or pomace. Brandy itself is commonly fermented from just the grape juice, rather than the entire grape. Many grappas, including this one, choose to name themselves in a similar fashion to the wine made. When you smell this you can really understand the grape flavors in the spirit

Special mentions to: calvados,

"Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy."

-Samuel Johnson

Photo Credit: Needpix, pikist

Vodka 302: Let's try some Flavored Vodka Cocktails!

Flavored vodkas have been hitting the market in a big way. Some brands like Pinnacle have dozens upon dozens of flavors available. They range from orange to rainbow sherbet. A brand I hold a soft spot for is Oddka, with flavors like electricity, wasabi, and salted caramel popcorn. Veteran bartenders have known how to infuse spirits with flavor for centuries. But saving time has always appealed to the nightlife industry and home bartenders alike. There have been a few fun cocktails that utilize flavored vodka. If you don't want to go and buy a bottle of flavored vodka it is quite easy to make your own with most flavors. Though I'm not sure I care to know how they make vodka taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Lemon Drop
Sugar, 1 1/4oz Citrus Vodka, Lemon wedge

Pour yourself a shot of chilled citrus vodka. Wet the back of your hand and pour some sugar onto it. 

Lick the sugar, take the shot, and suck the lemon. This takes a lot, if not all, elements of a popular style of taking tequila shots. It's named after the common sucker candy. This drink can also be made as a martini. Try it with a sugar rim and garnish with some nice juicy lemon. If you'd prefer to use a premium vodka you can do your own infusions or just mix in some lemon juice and simple syrup. Oh, and if you're a fan, just try some limoncello. Limoncello is just a homemade (though you can buy it in stores) vodka based lemon liqueur.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 3/4oz Vanilla Vodka, 1/2oz Pineapple Juice, 1/4oz Grenadine

In a mixing glass add all the ingredients except grenadine. Swirl or shake and strain into a shooter glass. Drizzle a little grenadine into the glass. It should settle and create a nice gradient.

This is something of a more interesting shot.  Instead of being just one solid color like so many drinks, this gives itself a little gradient for a fun splash of vibrancy. This can also be made as a martini. Garnish with a cherry or some small pineapple rings. You can even make it as a jello shot, just add a cherry at the bottom of the cup before pouring the shots.

Cake Martini

1 1/2oz Cake Vodka, 1tsp white cake mix, 1/2oz baileys, 1oz cream

Rim a chilled martini glass with icing and then with sprinkles, ideally non-pareils. Add the ingredients to a mixing tin with ice. Shake and strain. Garnish with some canned whipped cream if you'd like.gradient.

I've seen this drink by many names and many slightly tuned recipes: Wedding Cake Martini, Birthday Cake Martini, Cake Mix Martini, etc. Try using all kinds of ingredients and flavors. I personally love a nice creamy drink after a balanced meal. Cake is a dessert, be it solid or liquid. Many people find cake mix gives an odd thick consistency. Try it with some strawberries and a little amaretto to make a Strawberry Shortcake Martini. 

Winter Sangria Martini
1.5oz Orange Vodka, 1/2oz St. Germain, 1oz POM, 1/2oz Lemon

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain. Garnish with a rose petal. 

Credit where credit is due, this recipe is from Grey Goose. Their L'Orange vodka is a very fine premium flavored vodka. This is a very simple cocktail, all things considered, and it will bring elements most guests aren't overly familiar with. St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur, with a sweet botanical flavor. Some pomegranate and lemon juice round it off quite nicely. Some advanced drinkers might find this type of drink a bit rudimentary, just stacking different citruses with a little flowery note but it is a great way to look extra classy without too much work.

Special mention to: sonic screwdriver, raspberry cosmo, chocolate martini, creamsicle

Photo Credit: Wikimedia, Pxfuel

Tequila 301: Let's try some Tequila Cocktails!

Tequila is an amazing spirit to play with. There are sweet types, barrel-aged types, types that are infused with other flavors. It can be a little daunting but go out there and have fun with your spirits. Just remember, if a brand works great in one cocktail, it doesn't mean it's the best. It also doesn't mean it's great in every cocktail. Experiment, that's what life's all about, especially when you're drinking tequila.

Shot
Salt, 1 1/4oz Tequila, Lime wedge

Pour yourself a shot of tequila. Wet the back of your hand and shake some salt on it. 

Lick the salt, take the shot, and bite the lime. Enter any home in Mexico as a guest and you will probably be greeted with a shot of mezcal or tequila. This is a healthy thing to partake in and you should really know what tequila can taste like straight. This may not be the social style of shot seen in Mexico, but it's a common Americanized form that does have proper roots. Tequila used to be medicine; it would be prescribed by doctors. Some drinkers found the spirit straight a bit harsh. The salt opens up the palette and the lime helps cleanse it. Plenty of variations exist using sugar, lemon, or orange. 

Margarita
2oz Silver Tequila, 1oz Cointreau, ¾oz lime juice

In a mixing glass add all the ingredients with ice. Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed margarita glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel. 

The first Margarita was arguably made by Carlos "Danny" Herrara in 1938, but that's not my favorite story. My favorite story is more about how the Margarita became popular. There was a bartender by the name of John Durlesser who competed in and won the 1949 All American Cocktail Contest with a drink called the Margarita. He did not explain the name of this drink. The drink became wildly popular across the globe. Over twenty years after the competition he revealed the true story about why he named the drink Margarita. 23 years before the competition he had gone hunting with his girlfriend. She was shot by a stray bullet and died before she could get medical care. In my opinion, the most amazing thing is that the drink gained so much popularity without the story being out.

Tequila Sunrise

2oz tequila, 4oz orange juice, 1/2oz fresh grenadine

In a highball glass with ice, add the tequila and the orange juice. Slowly dribble the grenadine around the inner rim of the glass. The denser grenadine will sink. Garnish with an orange and cherry. 

The original tequila sunrise was actually made with tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice, and soda water. This was back in the '30s at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. From the '70s to the present day the common recipe is what you see here.

Paloma
2oz Blanco tequila, 3oz grapefruit juice, 1/2oz lime juice,  Club soda

Rim half a highball glass with salt and fill with ice. In a mixing glass with ice, add all the ingredients except the club soda. Stir all the ingredients together and strain into the highball glass. Top with about an ounce of club soda. Garnish with a lime wheel. 

Paloma, meaning dove, is another fairly simple highball cocktail. In Mexico, these drinks are even more popular than the Margarita. Ideally one would use grapefruit soda (Squirt), which you can find in the right stores. Commonly in America, one would use white grapefruit juice in this with club soda to get a similar result. 

special mention to: bee sting

“I’ve created a new drink! I'm calling it the Piñata Colada! It’s sweet and tasty, but when you wake up the next morning your head feels like it’s been hit with a stick.” 

- José N. Harris

Photo Credit: Wikimedia, pixabay

Gin 401: Dissecting the Gin and Tonic

I once read that some Japanese bartenders and bar enthusiasts regard the gin and tonic as the face of the bar. Some students of mine may remember a few stories I told featured in this manga: Bartender. The story I'm referring to, however, takes a slightly less melodramatic approach than the first chapter. This chapter explains how every little detail of a Gin and Tonic affects how it ends up.

Ice:

• What is the water source? Is it filtered or purified?
• Is it machine made or natural?
• How clear or cloudy is the ice?
• What is the size of the chunks?
• What shape are they?
• How many pieces do you use?

Ratio:

• Do you keep it 2:1 or go a bit stronger or weaker?

Gin:

• What brand do you use?
• How much do you use?

Tonic:

• Do you use a syrup or go prepackaged? 
• What brand do you use?
• How much do you use?

Mixing:

• Do you just build it in the glass?
• Do you stir the cocktail?

Garnish:

• What garnish do you use?
• How do you cut it?
• Do you extract any juice or flavor from it?
• If so, do you add another bit for presentation

Most places, of course, use machine-made ice and it's typically not the largest size. Typically the glass is filled. The Gin, more often than not is whatever the customer requests or whatever is in the well. The tonic is often dispensed by the gun, Schweppes is the most common brand. Most bartenders don't mix it and just slide a lime wedge on the side, maybe a sip stick as well.

Try this drink with harder ice.
Try different gins. Bombay Sapphire East has a nice peppery note. Bluecoat is more citrusy
Schweppes is quite sweet. Try something citrusy or herbal like Fever Tree or Fentimans
See if your guests stir their G&T's. Some like keeping things separate.
Try squeezing in your juice or use the skin oils on the rim, or use some cucumber or lemon grass

For my new guests, I make my G&T's like this:

A tall thin highball glass is filled with hard, large, cubed ice

Add 1 part Tanqueray gin and then carefully float 2 parts Fentimans tonic water on top

Place a lime wedge (1/6 lime) on the rim of the glass and slide in two sip sticks

This is for a number of reasons. Hard ice melts much slower than cubed ice so the drink waters down slower. The guest can wait for there to be more water if they want. Tanqueray is a very popular gin but remains quite well rounded, not very citrusy or herbal. Fentimans is a nice herbal change of pace not everyone is used to. This is where I sort of make my mark. A guest will usually note something fairly unique about this and either smile curiously or require something sweeter or more acidic. I layer it so the guest has the choice of how to drink it. Some guests prefer sipping the gin straight through the straw and sipping the chaser from the rim. The thin glass helps keep the fluids separate as well. The lime I offer, and if the guest discards it I know not to offer it again. If they drop it in or squeeze it in I learn more about their tastes, that they like some acidity.

For myself, I usually make my G&T's like this:

A large rocks glass with a clear massive king cube that I crack with a bar spoon, maybe two. 

Add 1 1/2oz Bombay Sapphire East and then float 2oz Fever Tree Indian Tonic

Squeeze a lime wedge in, discard it, and put another one on the rim, take a sip stick and stir

I know I like my Gin and Tonics mixed. My choice of product has a nice Indian spice to it, in the gin and the tonic water. The cracked ice gets it cold quickly enough but will melt more to my liking at the end of the drink. I like to linger with my drinks and I like some variety in a drink. It starts with a nice spice and a dash of citrus and slowly gets easier to sip as I stir and the ice melts. If I want I can take the lime and zazz up the drink if it gets dull at all. 

"I exercise extreme self-control. I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast." 

-W. C. Fields

Photo Credit: wikimedia

Amatuer Flight: Aperitif / Digestif liqueurs

This is my first posting of an amateur flight. I've done several posts I call beginner flights, simple, accessible samplings for beginners to get their feet wet and experience the different varieties of spirits. This one I call an amateur sampling as I think one should have a foundation on spirits before they try a flight of these liqueurs straight. Most beginner drinkers might find some of these off-putting or too bizarre. Don't get discouraged, it took me a while to start to enjoy these flavors. 

Aperitifs and digestifs are a daunting group of spirits. Everyone knows vermouth is used in martinis and manhattans, but few even know what it is. You can drink these spirits on their own and in cocktails. They were not designed to be drank mixed up like so many liqueurs today. Most of them have a very long history and ought to be tried in their pure form.

1. Campari: 

Campari is a fairly bitter liqueur first made in 1860, that most Americans admittedly don't like at first. It does take some getting used to. Americans are used to sweeter more savory things. Evolutionarily speaking bitter flavors became associated with poisons. Most medicines tend to carry a bitter flavor as well. Campari has a sweet note as well as a bitter one which can be a bit confusing, but once you start to feel the levels of the spirit you can start to see it's versatility in cocktails. One of my favorite drinks actually is the Boulevardier: bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Campari. It's very similar to a Manhattan but instead of Angostura Bitters, it adds this nice semi-sweet orange note to the drink, as well as having a color with a bit more pop.

2. Aperol: 

Aperol was created in 1919, coincidentally the year prohibition started in the United States, but it gained popularity in other countries. Some people think of Aperol as a more mild form of Campari. It pairs well with sparkling white wines and other more delicate flavors. In fairness, the proof is less than half that of Campari. The sugar content remains the same, however. When tasting this spirit straight you will say it tastes sweeter, as the other flavors are lessened the sweetness shines through a bit more. The flavor remains quite similar to Campari, bitter orange, with other notes of gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona. While Campari typically pairs with some more heavy spirits like whiskey and some gin cocktails, Aperol is more at home among softer flavors.

3. Fernet Branca: 

Fernet is an Italian amaro, made from a number of herbs and spices like myrrh, aloe, and saffron built over a grape spirit base. Fernet Branca has developed a massive cult following among craft bartenders. The herbal flavor profile again not very palatable to a number of drinkers not familiar with the craft cocktail world and assorted types of amaro. This liqueur has almost developed a sense of elitism. Ask any craft bartender if the like Fernet and they will smile and start to treat you with a higher level of respect unless you're like me and say you don't like it. It is served as a digestif, meaning it is taken after dinner to close the palette. Sometimes it will go with some coffee or espresso. The aroma is a lot like black licorice.

4. Jägermeister: 

Jägermeister translated it means "Master of the hunt". Jäger has a great following of loyal drinkers. They don't see themselves as better educated though, or different in any way. They just like a rather odd drink. Jäger has a strong flavor of black licorice; some people actually equate it to cough syrup. It has gained a decent following in dive and college bars from the novelty of the Jäger Bomb. That combined with the iconic, near-indestructible, bottle and the old stories of deer blood in the recipe, along with the German prayer written on the label of every bottle and you gain quite a name for yourself. Not everyone will drink Jäger, but everyone knows what is. Jäger is quite unique in that it's one of very few spirits meant to be served ice-cold, yet straight. You can actually buy a custom Jägerator refrigerator to dispense instant ice cold Jager. Zehn kleine Jägermeister.

"There can't be good living where there is not good drinking." 

- Benjamin Franklin

Photo Credit: Wikimedia, Food Facts